The Working Party: Querying Queerness

Third meeting:

Fri 18th Jan, 6 – 8pm

The meaning of the word “queer” to suggest something as ‘strange’ or ‘peculiar’, having been reclaimed by activist and scholars, expresses a political resistance against hetero-normative and homo-normative identities and politics. But what does this mean to the artist who is affected by these issues? Simultaneously exploring personal, political, cultural narratives, and navigating the territory – The Working Party is an experimental forum (reading group, film club, peer critique) for artists asking these questions through their own art practice and/or seminal writings, films, other’s artworks, exhibitions and artefacts etc.

Through monthly meetings led by artists Richard Stott, Yuen Fong Ling, Damien Fisher and Thomas Lee Griffiths, we will engage with a wide range of contemporary queer experience (in its expanded definition) to discuss the contradictions and complexities in locating a critical position for art practice and the artist. Founded on the principal of an inclusive yet private and safe space for artists to freely discuss, key ideas and themes generated out of these meetings will inform the wider public programme of talks, workshops and/or events as part of Bloc Projects’ Salon public programme in 2019.

This will be the last public QWP meeting and an opportunity for others to express their interest in moving forward as part of the existing group to consider other formats to strategically explore other public facing ideas such as nomadic events, talks and exhibitions.